Hey everyone, Adrian here. Quick update on where we’re at with the film. As of now, I’m officially on the third draft of the script, and honestly, it’s looking really solid. A lot of the changes between drafts have been focused on tightening dialogue and making everything feel more mature and grounded. Every line now has more intention behind it, especially when it comes to showing who each character really is without overexplaining.
One example of this is the German lab rat character. He only has two lines in the entire film, but one of them involves him cursing in German. To make sure the audience understands what’s being said, I’m planning to add a rough, test-style subtitle directly into the film. Nothing clean or cinematic. More raw, almost like surveillance or translated footage. It fits the tone perfectly.
There has also been a casting change during the scripting process. JJ will no longer be playing the translator. This change happened naturally while writing, because it made more sense for Matheus to actually know a little bit of German himself. Not fluent, but enough to communicate with Levi efficiently and aggressively. This shift made their interactions way more intense and believable, and it added more depth to Matheus as a character.
JJ is still part of the film, just in a different role. He will now be cast as a cop at the very end of the film. After Adrian and Tati escape, JJ’s character arrives at the house, discovers all the bodies, and finds Matheus dead. He then calls in a suicide code over the radio. The purpose of this moment is to create the illusion that Matheus killed himself, even though the audience knows the truth.
To sell that idea further, the scene is written so that Adrian forces Matheus to stab himself using his own wrist blade, the same blade Levi created for him. From an outside perspective, it looks like Matheus took his own life. This adds another layer to the ending. No justice, no closure, just consequences being buried under false conclusions.
One more element we’re trying to include before JJ’s final appearance is an actual cop car. Coincidentally, my neighbor two houses down is a cop and always has his patrol car parked outside. I’m working up the courage to ask him if he’d be willing to help us out with a quick 10 second shot of his cop car driving down the street with the lights on, pulling up to the target house after Adrian and Tati dip. If this works out, it would elevate the realism of the ending by a lot.
Overall, the script is finally coming together in a way that feels intentional and controlled. Every change now is about tightening the story and reinforcing the tone. We’re getting close.
More updates soon.
